Draw Your Choice
by Pandora North Star
Summary: Xander is accidentally brought to Gotham City and is taken under Bruce Wayne's wings as he tries to cope with Buffy's death and an evil villain known as "Sketch."
1. Default Chapter

Title: Draw Your Choice  
Author: Pandora North Star  
Rating: PG  
Notes: I have attempted numerous Batman crossovers and I think this one might work. I love the idea of Xander getting to be a super hero.   
Xander Harris slowed the car as the fog seemed to get thicker around him. The fog was like a thick puff of smoke and the air was thick with humidity like a deep southern evening. His car made a groaning sound and he slowed it even more. He could barely see out the windshield and wasn't sure he wanted to stop fully and find a place to rest for awhile.   
The car eventually made the decision for him as the engine rolled over and died. He slammed the steering wheel with his fist. Nothing was going his way. That's why he was on this road trip now. After Buffy's death all the pain and rage built up within him until he informed Anya he needed to get away and clear his head. He was headed to LA right now to visit Cordelia. It had taken awhile to convince Anya he wasn't going there just to have a fling before marriage. He tried to make her understand that he needed a comfort that could only be found in high school nostalgia with Cordelia, who also knew Buffy.   
He got out of the car to examine the engine on his old clinker of a Jetta and found the fog parting. Much stranger things had happened in Sunnydale so he shrugged it off and opened the hood. The acrid smell made him back away. He took a moment to look around and discovered he was somewhere much stranger than LA.  
He could see a city in the background alright. But it sure didn't have the LA skyline. Closer though was a long winding driveway behind wrought iron gates. Xander didn't have a cell phone with him and he didn't plan to spend the night in the car so he headed for the gates. The 2 hour drive to LA had seemed to long already.  
When he went to ring the bell the gates opened automatically. Taking this for a good sign Xander started walking. The trees swayed in the breeze as he passed, whispering at him. When he arrived to the front of the house he paused in awe. It was sprawling and the doors were beautifully carved. He appreciated the carpentry, being a construction worker. There was another bell here and he tried to ring it, waiting for the door to open. He wasn't disappointed.  
The door was opened by a small white haired man in spectacles and a stiff black suit. These people had butlers! "Hello young master. Come inside."   
"Hey Jeeves. I got stranded outside and I was wondering if I can use your phone."  
"Very good sir." the man held the door until Xander was inside. He craned his neck as he looked around the foyer. Like the outside of the house it was decorated modestly in a dark oak and hunter green marble floors. "Come along young master."  
"Did you see it out there? Strange weather we're having tonight." Xander heard his voice echo off the walls. His mind wandered as he walked, to dark thoughts. These people could do anything to him and no one would know. Sure they would worry back home but he didn't even know where he was. So they couldn't do anything about finding his body.  
"Would you like a snack young master? You look like you've had a long journey."  
"Sure." Xander figured they wouldn't poison him. To easy for such polished people. They entered the kitchen which was brighter, all white and black. Everything seemed way to clean and way to quiet. The butler pulled a plate out of the refrigerator and put it on a table. He also went away briefly and returned with a phone.  
"Here you are." Xander sat down and looked at the leftovers.   
"Some fancy leftovers." He murmured to himself.  
"Excuse me. I'm going to go tell the Master he has a guest." The butler bowed and left the room. Xander took a big bite of food and then dialed the phone. It rang a few times then he heard a faint click and the irritating recorded voice of the phone company came on.  
"The number you dialed 617-659-1208 does not exist. Nor does the city it represents. Please get a real number and try again." Xander turned the phone off and stared at it with shock.   
"Where am I?"  
"Excuse me. May I introduce you to the master of the house."  
"If it's Dracula I'm out of here." The butler and a regular looking man entered the room. He was very good looking with perfect hair touched with gray. He was probably in his late 30's.   
"Good evening. I hope you've found everything convenient."  
"Yeah. Except for your phone service." the man was holding something in his hand but Xander couldn't figure out what it was. It looked like some sort of magazine. He must have gotten the guy off the crapper. "Where am I?"  
"Wayne Manor." Xander spat the food he was chewing out. "Huh? This is a joke right? A very strange joke." The man sauntered to the table and softly laid the magazine down. Xander looked at it and saw his own face (comic book style) staring back at him. The cover read 'Xander Harris, The Every Man of Super Heroes!'. Xander swallowed hard and reached for it. The page turned before he touched it and fell open. He looked at the strips inside. It showed him over the past few days with Anya. There were scenes he would never share, yet here they were, for apparently the rest of the world to see.  
"I don't get it. You're Bruce Wayne. Batman. You're the Super Hero Crime Fighter. Not me. All I do is help my friend Buffy. She's the Super hero of there are any real life ones."  
"There's a new bad guy in town. His name is Sketch. He has the ability to draw people and things into different worlds."  
"No. That is all to close to what just happened back home. I can't do this again."  
"As I was saying. There are already thin gaps between worlds. That's why there are Xander comic books here, and as you said Barman comic books in your world. They are linked and the legacies bleed through to the other side."  
"But wouldn't this guy bring over other bad guys? Not good guys?"  
"He didn't. We brought you here to help us. There was a parallel doorway that worked perfectly."  
"I knew I should have taken the freeway! I had to take the shortcut."  
"Alfred, I'm afraid we have no time to lose."  
"Yes sir." Alfred walked over to the other side of the kitchen and a hole opened up in the wall.  
"The Bat signal went up a few minutes ago. We need to go."  
"Hey wait. Where's Robin? How do I get back? What are my super powers?" Xander grabbed the comic book as he trailed after Batman. He screamed as he fell down the chute, not used to it and bounced on the bottom, on the trampoline type net. Bruce Wayne was already suiting up.   
"Robin is gone. You get back when we stop Sketch. You don't have Superpowers. You're like most guys just a Superhero."  
"So typical." Xander looked at the costume chamber. "Is that green thing mine?"  
"We thought Lizard Man would be appropriate. You eat bugs." Bruce Wayne said it without a hint of smile, like it was a natural fact.  
"That was one time. Under a spell." Xander protested. "Ok and that other time I got hungry."   
"Suit up." Bruce was already clipping on his weapons and sliding on his helmet.  
"Funny, you don't look like any one particular Bruce Wayne. You're more like a mixture of them all with a little bit of my pal Angel thrown in."  
"Come on." Xander grabbed the rubbery suit with a grimace and followed Batman to the Batmobile.  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2   
  
"Ok, my question is, did you know you were a superhero in our dimension or do you know you like just fight crime in a super cool way that gets all the women."  
"I do what I have to do." Batman concentrated on the road as they sped into Gotham city.  
"So where are we going? To fight Riddler? Freeze? Ivy? Catwoman? Penguin? Two Face?"  
"The Joker."  
"Good old Jack Nicholson."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Sorry, Xander world joke." Xander bit his lip and examined the rubber uniform he was in. It had some interesting claws on the gloves along with many little things attached to the belt. "So how come I don't get a cape? Am I not cool enough? Or does the side kick not get a cape? Robin got a cape."  
"When we get there we are going through the ceiling. The Joker is holding a party of important people hostage. You distract his company while I get the Joker."  
"Why did you pick me? Am I special?"  
"Your pain called out to me through the dimensions. You remind me of others."  
"Like yourself. And Robin. Man I'll do anything for Buffy... I mean I did. I thought you didn't want others to revenge stuff."  
"I have accepted that it is the only way. I saw you. You were looking for revenge." Xander was quiet. The car pulled to a stop and Batman was gone before Xander could take a breath. He scrambled after him and found Batman was already halfway up an impressively tall building, like most of the buildings in Gotham city.   
"Hey. Batman? How do I get up?" Xander waved to Batman who paused.   
"Climb." Xander touched the wall doubtingly and his hand stuck. He experimented with the other and found he could climb.  
"I'm like a tree lizard! Check me out!" Batman was waiting impatiently at the top when Xander arrived.   
"I'm going through the sky light. Come after me and deploy your grapple. I'll take out the Joker. Try not to get any civilians killed...or yourself."  
"Hey. Wait! Which button is it!" Batman was already jumping. Xander shielded his eyes from the flying glass and followed suit. He plunged through the gaping hole in the glass with a high pitched scream. He frantically pressed buttons on his belt which caused spikes to appear on his back and also a rope to be released. He watched it hit the ceiling and stick. He felt himself jerk to a halt in midair.  
"I'm alright folks!" He waved to the people down below. A murmur went through the crowd.   
"This isn't good." Xander watched as about 50 guns aimed at him. He used the claws on his gloves to cut the rope and drop to the ground.   
"Who are you?" Someone called with distain.   
"I'm Batman's new partner, Lizardman." Quietly to himself he muttered "We've got to come up with a better name."  
"He's getting away with the mayor!" Xander looked up to see Batman and The Joker fighting. The thugs wearing clown faces (of course) were between them. Xander hopped down into the sea of people and began punching and clawing at the thugs. At first it was alright but then he began to get tired.   
The thugs closed in around him. Xander gulped nervously. They had him backed up against a column that supported the high ceiling. Xander scrambled backwards and right up the side of the pillar.   
"Haha! I got away!" More guns trained on him and he scooted to the other side. He could feel bullets ricochet and chip the stone. He dared to glance around and down. His stomach flip flopped.   
"Think Xander. Do something you would do to distract the vampires from Buffy...no, bad idea. These guys have guns." He looked down to his belt and made a note to tell Alfred to label the buttons. "Must be some sort of weapon on here. I know Batman is more of a fists and kicks man but come on." Xander looked over his outfit and happened to catch sight of tiny holes under the claws on his knuckles.   
Xander pressed a smaller button that he had overlooked on his glove. Something shot out of the holes and sprinkled on the thugs below. "Haha! Lizard Poison!" The acid he bet wasn't lethal but it was a great distraction. A cloud of steam went up and Xander was able to detach himself and leap from the pole to a safe area. The remainder of the thugs came at him and he fended them off with some martial arts moves until The Joker called them back.  
"Come my children. Another night perhaps Batman?" The Joker shoved the mayor off a platform into the crowd and the thugs disappeared. Xander made his way over to Batman.   
"Thank you. You saved my life." The mayor said to Batman.  
"Mayor, why was the Joker here? What did he want?"  
"He said something about the bleeding insane dementia of dimensions. Do you know what that means?"  
"I might. It doesn't bode well. I'll keep in touch. We'll get to the bottom of this." Batman did the cool man swirl of the cape and headed for the door. Xander chased after him.  
"What I don't get is why you have big open lavish parties. They're always raided by evil villains. It's practically a guarantee. It's happened in just about every Batman movie back home." Batman was about to say something but Xander continued. "I know what you're going to say. It's like Sunnydale. People deny things like this happen. Okay. I understand."  
"I knew you would need the poison."  
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not good enough? I'm a civilian and I've clocked many field hours! I'm a good fighter. Just because I'm not invincible, and I'm new at the big scary guys with guns thing doesn't mean you have the right to say that."   
"You won't need it once you are more properly trained." Xander crossed his arms and pouted. They arrived back to the manor early in the morning. Alfred led Xander to a bedroom where there were clothes laid out for him. Alfred waited by the door.  
"Hey Al, I'm kinda not fond of Xander strip shows." Xander remembered the time after senior year he would never speak of.   
"You're uniform young master. You wanted the devices labeled?"  
"Damn you're good." Xander took the uniform off and Alfred left before Xander changed.  



	3. Chapter 3

Note: Here's a bit of an explanation Bolo! More will be explained as the story goes on.   
Chapter 3  
"So tell me more about this Sketch character."  
"His name was Tristan Brandel. He was a cartoonist. He crossed paths with the Joker and he went mad. He discovered that other worlds existed, their boundaries pushing on the walls of our own and figured out how to bring things in."   
"He knows he'll destroy his own world if he does this right? God what is it with evil people!"  
"I wouldn't know."   
"Well how do we find him?"  
"First we have to find out what the Joker is up too."  
"No, we have to get this Sketch guy so we can stop a bat sized apocalypse and I can go home."  
"I thought you wanted a quest?"  
"What do you do, read my mind?...or the comic book." Xander glared at the Xander comic book on the table. It seemed to taunt him as the pages flipped casually, on their own. "Shut up and eat your Wheaties." Even the box taunted him, his face, and body adorned in the tacky rubber suit smiled at him from the box. The morning wasn't going very well and he was really starting to miss Anya. They hadn't been apart in almost a year.  
"We're going to the Batcave to train. Why don't you go get your training clothes."   
"Maybe I will." Xander stomped back upstairs and flung open the closet. He grabbed a sweatsuit and put it on then headed back downstairs. He went to the kitchen and looked for the button to open the door, not really all that anxious to go back down the chute.   
"Can I help you young master?"  
"Alfred old buddy. The flying rodent asked me to meet him in the Batcave. Where's the button?"  
"Right here sir." He pointed to a button with a picture of a bat on it.  
"Right." Xander pressed the button and slid forward down the chute. He screamed again, but got it under control before he bounced and landed on the polished metal floor. Batman or shall we say Bruce Wayne was waiting for him.  
"Just like training with Buffy." Xander reminded himself as Bruce beckoned him over. "With all your fancy gadgets you'd think you'd use them instead."  
There's no substitute for being a weapon of justice yourself." Bruce explained tensing up. "You need to learn how to do the most amount of damage in the least amount of time. What you did last night was ridiculous, dangerous and distracting."  
"Well sorry. Not used to the whole being shot at by 50 clowns with machine guns. I'm used to vampires who run at you armed with only their teeth. And the occasional gun." Xander lowered himself to a fighting stance, groaning at his aching muscles. Climbing was hard work no matter how sticky your, paws? Bruce came at him with a series of controlled kicks and punches, most that Xander had trouble dodging.   
"Time your returns and your ducks. Know when to back out." Bruce said taking a deep breath. His eyes fixated on Xander, a look of amusement on his face.   
"Is this getting recorded in the comic books? Because this is embarrassing."  
"We've seen you do worse."  
"Just how far back do those things go?" Xander asked nervously. He punched out absentmindedly and socked Bruce in the chin.  
"Good. You're learning." Bruce grunted.   
"Go me. So where's this Sketch guy's lair? His studio?"  
"We think it's somewhere in Gotham city."  
"Duh." Xander rolled his eyes. "You don't know anything else? Haven't you pinpointed the area of demonic and otherwise strange activity?"   
"Isn't that your area of expertise?" Batman raised an eyebrow at Xander.   
"Yes. So what are we going down here? Shouldn't we be out observing the area and finding these things. We don't just sit around with our butlers if there's evil afoot. We go out and kill it." Xander shook his head. "Superheroes." He walked over to wall with the suits on it and pulled his down. The buttons had little tiny labels expertly hidden from people who wouldn't look for them, thus keeping him with the advantage.   
"I'm going out patrolling for evil. You can stay here and do what you want, think up plans for the Joker and how he fits into this but I have things to do." He marched away, looking rather dorky as he tried to figure out how to leave. He finally headed fora motorcycle and sat on it stubbornly.   
"Would you like me to open the door for you young master."  
"Yes I would thank you." Alfred opened a door which led into the tunnel. Xander gunned the motorcycle and zoomed out into the early afternoon.   
Batman looked after the retreating 20 year old. "You know how it is with young sirs. They have to find their own way and learn their lessons."  
"I know." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Xander had only ridden a motorcycle once but he figured the suit would protect him if anything happened. He just had to get out of there. Gotham city loomed in the distance, seeming to shadow the suburbs and suck in the light, quickly turning it into darkness. Xander felt the need to go around the shadows and not enter them. He was a suburbanite. Unfortunately, and he knew it.  
He tried to think about Sketch and the possible connection between him and the Joker other than the Joker driving him crazy but the answer eluded him. He thought of all the comic books he had read about the Joker. He almost laughed. Everyone had told him that reading comic books was a waste of time but now he depended on the knowledge he gained from them.   
He wished he had a map of Gotham and the surrounding area as he drove further from Wayne Manor. The area he was driving towards seemed to be on the bad part of town. As much as he wanted to turn back Xander wanted to continue because he felt, in the pit of his stomach the key to the whole situation wasn't far away.  
*************  
In truth Xander was right. He wasn't very far away from the dilapidated amusement park the joker called home. Deep in the bowels of the amusement park was his hideout along with the mad cartoonist Sketch.   
"What are you going to bring to me today?" The Joker asked Sketch. He walked around the grimy room that the cartoonist called home. It was more like a nest, as the endless stacks of papers became stuck to the floor and walls. The man seemed to exude dirt and grease.   
"Something dark, and vile. Something wild." The cartoonist answered as always, his fingers flying over the page. It was going to take a few minutes and the Joker grew bored easily so he left the room, careful to leave it in almost pitch darkness while he made his way to his "Zoo" or otherwise called "Freak Show".  
Some of the cages were metal but some were of a shimmery material that Sketch insisted the voices told him were magic. The Joker didn't care. He was grooming his pets to release on the city. There was only one key that he was missing...  
"Soon I will rule Gotham city. Then the world." He heard the portal open behind him and he snatched the keys to a cage.  
****************************  
Xander looked at his watch. He hadn't realized how long he had been cruising around. Gazing down the street, still with the feeling the answer was just out of reach he turned his motorcycle back toward Wayne Manor.  
He was driving for awhile but things didn't look familiar. He was pretty sure he hadn't taken a wrong turn. The trip had been almost straight. He stopped his motorcycle outside a restaurant and walked inside. People stopped and stared. He was wearing his outfit. His face flushed red but he swallowed his pride and walked to a booth. Someone came over with a menu.  
"Are you Xander Harris, the super hero? I can't wait until the new issue comes out. It said that this one was huge and that you were fighting a really big villain. I can't believe you're real. I always thought you were just a comic book." the woman said.  
"I'm real." Xander said uncomfortably.  
"Your food is on us. It's such an honor." The woman walked away without even taking his order. Xander was slightly stunned. Back home they never assumed superheroes were real. But maybe since Batman was real they just assumed Xander had been. Thinking about it gave him a headache so he eagerly accepted the food she brought him.  
It took him a few hours to get through dinner because every one wanted pictures and autographs. Finally he was able to escape. He got on his motorcycle and drove away. He forgot to ask for directions because he was so worried about leaving. Shrugging to himself he drove away into the twilight.  
Back at Wayne Manor Bruce was getting worried. "Alfred you remember what happened to Robin the night he went out on his own."   
"Yes sir. But boys will be boys. I do not think Xander is quite the same as other young masters."  
"Yes. And he has more experience." Bruce admitted.  
"The Bat signal sir." Bruce turned around in his chair and looked out the large bay window that gave him a view of Gotham city.  
"I'll have to find Xander on my way." Bruce said with a frown. He got up and headed to the Batcave.   
Xander found himself in a part of the city he didn't want to be in. Trash blew along the dark streets and he stood out like Kermit the Frog at a Vampire convention. People watched him from street corners. He was lost now and he had no clue what to do.  
"Hey you." Xander turned his head and saw a large man in biker leather. He was holding a mace.   
"Who me?"  
"Yeah." As Xander rode past the man slashed out with the mace and it caused Xander and the bike to go flying. He closed his eyes and prayed as they landed. Amazingly he wasn't very hurt. He silently thanked Alfred for the fine craftmanship and quickly extricated himself from the wreck. "What are you supposed to be?"  
"Lizardman?"   



	5. Chapter 5

Hey bolo, another short chapter. But would you rather short than waiting? i agree that the joker is more insane. He just had a bad life. but in my story he's more evil. enjoy.  
  
Chapter 5   
"Lizardman?" The man laughed a sickening laugh. "Well you die today."  
"Why would that be? I didn't do anything to you."  
"Maybe I just feel like it." The man growled. He swung the mace at Xander who ducked and rolled.  
"Haven't you read my comic books! It's not nice to do this to a superhero!" Xander screeched. He wondered if Batman would come get him, as dorky as that sounded. He wasn't ready to be pulverized meat yet.   
As the man came closer Xander backed up to the wall and realized he could escape. He turned and began climbing. The man grabbed his foot and he tumbled back to the ground.   
"That's not fair." Xander complained rubbing his foot. The man raised the mace.  
"That's it, I'm using the poison." He pressed the button on his belt. "Or maybe I'm not." He closed his eyes and prayed. He felt someone grab him.  
"Have a good afternoon?"  
"God it's good to see you." They were jerked upwards and landed on top of a building.   
"You've sent me far out of the way. The bat signal went off."  
"I'm right there with you."  
"Come on." Batman jumped to another building and made his way down a fire escape towards the Batmobile.  
"He was big. And maybe he was a vampire!" Xander called as he stumbled to catch up.  
"I think the signal came from the Mayor's office. He must be in trouble."  
"That's usually why they make the signal isn't it?" Xander looked back down to make sure the man wasn't following him. "What could it be?"  
"Anything. But I'll bet it's connected to the Joker or Sketch."  
"Or both. Evil villains have been known to work together. And it's more likely since the Joker made him evil."  
"We'll find out." the car stopped in front of the town hall skyscraper. "Going up." Batman shot his grapple out and was jerked out of the car. Xander scrambled to shoot his own and followed Batman up, occasionally having to use his feet and hands to get the extra inches.   
"This one." Batman stopped near a window and Xander struggled yo stop. He went to far and had to climb back down with his sticky hands.  
"Warn me please, when you're gonna do that."  
"Look. In there." Batman swung to the side and Xander peered in. The Joker was there. The mayor was tied up next to him. Batman leaned in and cut a hole with what looked like a diamond knife and extracted a piece of glass. The voices floated out to them.  
"Mayor oh mayor. Why don't you tell me where the Gem is?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about!"   
"Sure you do. Big, round, red. I know you had it filched from the museum in Metropolis last year. See if you help, you'll get a reward. Now be a good boy and tell me."  
The Joker reached out with something and Xander was about to jump. Batman held him back as they watched The Joker apply face paint to the mayor. "Happy little clowns." The joker laughed maniacally.   
"Why does he want that gem?" Xander whispered as quietly as he could to Batman.  
"The gem is said to have powers of control. My guess is that The Joker wants to control the people he turns made. Maybe loose them on the city."  
"That's a cheerful idea." Suddenly the Joker's face popped up and he appeared at the window. A reign of bullets whipped outside.  
"Drop!" Batman yelled. Xander let go of the wall and with his grapple to catch him, he plummeted. Once back in the car he unhooked himself and they took off.  
"I bet he kidnaps the mayor."  
"We'll have to go the carnival."  
"The one that he owns. The dilapidated scary insurance man frightening one?"  
"Yes. I think so..."  
"Fun. Do you think your phone will reach my dimension? I want to call my girlfriend in case I die."  
"Xander..." Batman warned. Xander crossed his arms and sunk into the plush leather seats.   
"You know, you're a lot cooler on television. And in the movies. Except in the Adam West version. Talk about funny. It was this Batman comedy show. And you wore tights." Xander laughed, evening the score.  
"I do not wear tights. Sometimes I wear inflammable insulators. Nothing like tights."  
"I'm so sure." They headed to the other side of town. They were in for a long night.  



End file.
